Process for the treatment of highboiling hydrocarbons



June 19, 1934. 5. MOEHRL E 1,963,757

PROCESS FOR THE ''I'REATMEII'J. OF HIGH BOILING HYDROQARBQNS Filed April 5. 1931 T0 SEPHRHTING, FRHCTIONRTING HND CONDENSING EQUIPMENT l REACTION REDUCING OIL HE'RTER.

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umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HIGH- BOILING HYDROCARBONS Eduard Moehrle, Duisburg-Meiderich, Germany Application April 3, 1931, Serial No. 527,614 In Germany dune 7, 1930 7 Claims. (Cl. 196-62) This, invention relates to a new and improved As one specific example of carrying out the process for obtaining valuable products from present invention, 500 kilograms of gas oil was high-boiling hydrocarbons and more particularly placed in a rotating vessel under a pressure of to the treatment of heavy hydrocarbons in an in- 100 atmospheres with nitrogen. The vessel was ert atmosphere to produce lighter hydrocarbons. heated for one hour at a temperature of 460 (2., all

It has heretofore been general to attempt to the heat causing the pressure to increase to 340 convert high-boiling hydrocarbons into benzine atmospheres. After cooling the vessel yielded 390 without pressure and without the addition of kilograms of liquid products, the remainder begases, and also processes are being developed ing gaseous as no coke is formed under the con- 10 wherein high pressures are used with the addiditions of the reaction. The liquid products give 65 tion of hydrogen. or mixed gases or compound forty percent of benzine upon fractional distillagases containing hydrogen. tion, this being strongly anti-knock in character The present method uses comparatively high as a result of its high content of aromatic hydropressures in an atmosphere of inert gases and carbons. The liquid products also included in one particular example an' atmosphere oftwenty-three percent of unchanged gas oil and 70 nitrogen is used. about eight percent of valuable lubricating oil.

It is an object of the present invention .to pro- It was found that in the treatment of highvide a method for the treatment of high-boiling boiling hydrocarbons under temperatures and hydrocarbons in an inert atmosphere to produce p e su O t Character described, the quality lighter hydrocarbons. of the benzine produced is much better when 75 It is a further object to provide a method of the hydrocarbons are under pressure of nitrogen this character in which the treatment is in an than when the hydrocarbons are treated by usual atmosphere of nitrogen under pressure. cracking processes. Instead of nitrogen an inert It is a further object to provide a method of gas may be used, an inert gas being one which treatment in an atmosphere of nitrogen under does not appreciably enter into the reaction. The pressures in excess of fifty atmospheres and at y ro e Split Off n crac i g s transferred to temperatures in excess of three hundred and fifty the benzine resulting from a k ng and to degrees centigrade, the high boiling reaction products formed by Other and further objects will appear as the polymerization to a gr ate e e t under p sure of nitrogen or inert gases than without the 5 I have shown diagrammatically in the accomapplication of these gases under p If thev panying drawing, apparatus suitable for carryreaction iS conducted with the assistance of these ing ut my improved process, gases under pressure and with the further as- In the drawingsistance of catalysts, the valuable results are fur- Figure 1 is a layout of the apparatus; and ther increased. The halogen compounds, es- 90 Figure 2 is diagrammatic showing of a mpecially iodine, or iodine compounds from which tating vessel which may be substituted f r th iodine is obtained directly or indirectly under reaction vessel of Figure 1. the conditions of the reaction, are particularly The drawing is substantially self-explanatory suitable as Catalysts. 40 in i w of the legends th The catalysts are used in small quantities, 5

It will be apparent that the raw material or such as less than one percent. of the material high boiling hydrocarbons are forced by a pump being treated, and preferably a small fraction through an oil heater, such as a-pipe still'or the v0f One p The v s y be formed f like, to the reaction vessel. The gas is comny m r als d i ned to wi h and he h h pressed and may b dd d i th hydrocarbons pressures and temperatures used in the process. 109 before or after the heating thereof. Means are AS an example 1' S a m t a chromium, provided for separately heating the gas if desired.- c el, alloy Steel y be mentioned. The 1 The'reaction vessel is provided with connections ditions under which the reaction take place defor leading off the overhead products and f r termine the type of material out of which the drawing off the'residue. vessel is to be constructed, rather thanany cata- In Figure 2 is shown a form of reaction vessel lytic activity which may be expected from the which may be rotated during the reaction. This surface of the vessel. vessel may be used in combination with the other While one specific exampleof carrying out the apparatus of Figure 1 in substitution for the fixed method has been given, this is to be understood l reaction vessel showninthat figure; as illustrative only, as the method may be used with other heavy hydrocarbons, with other catalysts and under such various conditions as to temperature and pressure as may come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A process for the conversion or heavy hy drocarbons with limited formation of free hydrogen, which comprises bringing together the hydrocarbons and only an inert gas which does not enter into the reaction appreciably, and treating the mixture at a temperature in excess of 350 C. and at a pressure or the order of three hundred atmospheres, the inert gas being a substantial portion or the gaseous material present during the treatment.

2. A process for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons with limited formation of free hydrogen, which comprises bringing together the hydrocarbons and only nitrogen, and treating the mixture at a temperature in excess of 350 0., and at a pressure of the order of three hundred atmospheres, the nitrogen being a substantial portion of the gaseous material present during the treatment.

3. A process for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons with limited formation of free hydrogen, which comprises bringing together the hydrocarbons and only an inertgas which does not enter into the reaction appreciably and treating the mixture at a temperature of the order of 460 C., and at a pressure of the order of three hundred atmospheres, the inert gas be ing a, substantial portion of the gaseous material present during the treatment.

4. A process for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons with limited formation of free hydrogen, which comprises bringing together the hydrocarbons and only an inert gas which does recaps? not enter into the reaction appreciably and treating the mixture in the presence of elemental iodine at a temperature in excess of 350 C., and

at a pressure of the order of three hundred atmospheres, the inert gas being a substantial portion of the gaseous material present during the treatment. I

5. A process for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons with limited formation or free hydrogen, which comprises bringing together the hydrocarbons and only nitrogen and treating the mixture in the presence of elemental iodine at a temperature in excess of 350 C., and at a pressure of the order of three hundred atmospheres, the nitrogen being a substantial portion of the gaseous material present during the treatment;

5. A process for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons with limited formation of free hy= drogen, which comprises bringing together the hydrocarbons and only an inert gas which does not enter into the reaction appreciably and treating the mixture in the presence of a halogen having the effect of elemental iodine at a temperature in excess of 350 C., and at a pressure of the order ofv three hundred atmospheres, the inert gas being a substantial portion of the gaseous material present during the treatment.

7. A process for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons with limited formatipn of free hydrogen, which comprises bringing together the hydrocarbons and only nitrogen and treating the mixture in the presence of a halogen having the effect of elemental iodine at a temperature in excess of 350 C., and at a pressure of the order of three hundred atmospheres, the nitrogen being a substantial portion of the gaseous material presentduring the treatment.

EDUARD MOEHRLE. 

